Inistructions in Learning 
Accurate Pistol Shooting 



By 



GV 1175 

.T5 

Copy 1 SY. SGT. JOHN M. THOMAS 

U. S. MARINE CORPS 





Tlie Proper Grip «>f an AiitoinaHc Pt«i«1 



Instructions in Learning 
Accurate Pistol Shooting 



By 

GY. SGT. JOHN M. THOMAS 

W 

U. S. MARINE CORPS 



BOSTON 

SAMUEL USHKR 
OII|r IFiirt l^ill }Irriui 

1922 



G. 



^&' 



Copyrighted 1922. 
By JOHN M. THOMAS 



This Pamphlet adopted by 
the U.S. Marine Corps, 1922. 



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V 



FOREWORD. 

It is the primary duty of every soldier to be able to shoot 
accurately; in fact he is little value as a soldier unless he can 
hit what he aims at. 

If men pass through their target practice without obtain- 
ing a satisfactory qualification, the fault is not theirs, but 
should be laid to faulty coaching. Men that do not care to 
become good shots are few and far between. 

As a sport, pistol shooting is different, and may some day 
prove to be a very useful accomplishment. It is one sport 
that retains its interest in solitary shooting as well as where 
more than one are firing. 

Ofificers should become expert in shooting the pistol for 
two reasons: First, the pistol will alw^ays be considered his 
fighting arm; second, every officer should be capable of in- 
structing men in accurate pistol shooting, and the higher his 
qualification, the more weight it will add to his words of 
instructions. 

JOHN M. THOMAS, 

Gy. Sgt., U. S. Marine Corps. 



The following are some of the more important winnings 
of the Author. 

First Place, N. R. A. Individual Pistol Match, National Matches of 
1920. Record score 282 x 300. 

First Place, National Individual Pistol Match, National Matches of 
1920. Score 279x300. 

Shooting Principal of U. S. Marine Corps Team No. 1 winning first 
place in The National Pistol Team Match, National Matches of 1920. 
Individual score 286 x 300 (record score). 

Shooting Principal of U. S. Marine Corps Team winning first place 
in The N. R. A. Pistol Team Match, National Matches of 1920. 

First Place, Southeastern Divisional Pistol Match, Parris Island, 
S. C, Matches of 1921. Record score of 1565 x 1680, for Army com- 
petition course. 

First Place U. S. Marine Corps Pistol Match, Quantico, Va., Matches 
of 1921. 

Winner of the Lauchheimer Trophy, and the shooting champion of 
the Marine Corps (rifle and pistol) 1921. 

Second Place, at the International Pistol Matches of 1921. Indi- 
vidual score high of the United States Team. Team winning Third Place. 

First place National Individual Pistol Match, National Matches 
of 1921. Score 281 x 300. 

Shooting Principal of U. S. Marine Corps Team No. 1, winning 
First Place in The National Pistol Team Match, National Matches of 
1921. 

First Place, Southeastern Divisional Pistol Match, Parris Island, 
S. C, Matches of 1922. 

First Place, U. S. Marine Corps Pistol Match, Quantico, Va., Matches 
of 1922. 

Winner of the Lauchheimer Trophy, and the shooting championship 
of the U. S. Marine Corps (rifle and pistol) matches of 1922. 



[4 



INSTRUCTIONS IN LEARNING ACCURATE 
PISTOL SHOOTING 

Physical condition. To obtain the best results, a person 
should be in good physical condition. Any bodily ailment will 
have a marked effect on the nervous system. 

One of the delusions that the layman has of pistol shooters 
is that they train the same as athletes, and that is just what 
they don't do. A man can do his best shooting in his every- 
day condition; if he trains he is liable to make a mess of it. 
He should take enough exercise to keep the digestive organs 
in good working order, but he should avoid excess exercise 
that will make the muscles or joints stiff or sore. The shooter 
is not at his best when the muscles or joints are in this condi- 
tion. When practice is taken in either the shooting position 
or in actual firing, the shooter should stop as soon as he be- 
comes unsteady. To go beyond this period the shooter is 
very liable to develop a habit of flinching. 

If you smoke or use tobacco in any form, do so when you 
go on the range or enter a pistol match. Of course smoking 
to excess will react on the nervous system, the same as eating 
to excess will affect the digestion and that in turn will affect 
the nervous system. There are many fine pistol shots that 
have smoked for years. On the other hand there are probably 
just as many that have never used tobacco at all. 

To sum up: eat as you ordinarily would, keep up your 
normal habits, sleep regular hours, and try to avoid an amount 
of exercise or practice that would make the muscles or joints 
the least bit stiff or sore. 

Anyone can become a fine pistol shot. Fine pistol shoot- 
ing is merely a matter of doing several things well and the 
better a person does these things, the better results that per- 
son will obtain. A fine pistol shot might be defined as follows: 
a shooter who takes infinite pains in doing the things mentioned 
below as near perfect as he can. These points are: 

[5] 



(a) Getting in the proper shooting position. 

(b) Gripping the gun properly. 

(c) Aiming the gun correctly. 

(d) Developing a good trigger squeeze. 

The first three of these are comparatively easy, but the 
last is more difficult, in that it requires a steady increase of 
pressure on the trigger. The time consumed in squeezing the 
trigger is regulated in accordance with the rapidity of fire 
desired, but always in such a manner that the firer will not 
know the exact instant that the discharge of the gun is to be. 
All of these points are covered in other paragraphs. A man 
is not born a fine pistol shot; he learns it; but some learn it 
quicker than others, due to the fact that they realize the im- 
portance of the points mentioned above sooner than those 
who are by nature slower to learn; and the beginner's progress 
in pistol shooting depends entirely upon his ability to master 
the points mentioned above. 

Excuses given for poor shooting. Any man who passes 
the physical examination that he must pass to enlist in the 
Marine Corps, has no excuse for not being able to learn to do, 
not only good shooting, but fine pistol shooting. Of all the 
accomplishments that the Marine should have, fine shooting 
stands out as far more important than all the rest. 

Nervousness. Some men say that they are too nervous 
to do good pistol shooting. As a matter of fact this nervous- 
ness of the hand and arm does not aflfect the point of impact 
of the bullet but very slightly, due to the fact that the whole 
arm, hand, and gun are shaking but the barrel remains nearly 
parallel to the line of sight, and therefore the muzzle is being 
deflected but very little. However, this nervousness may be 
eliminated in a short time by going through the following 
exercise: take the shooting position as explained in that para- 
graph, and squeeze the trigger in such a manner that it will 
not be known when the hammer is going to fall. By continu- 
ing the aim until after the hammer has fallen any deflection 
of the muzzle caused by a faulty trigger squeeze can be seen. 
This exercise will also indicate where the hit should have been; 
this is known as calling the shot. Care should be taken in 
going through this exercise that you grip the gun and do every- 

[6] ' 



thing else as you would in actual firing. Ten to fifteen minutes 
of this exercise daily will soon eliminate nervousness of the 
hand and arm^ and will also greatly improve your trigger 
squeeze. 

^ Strong eyesight is not necessary. Some men say that 
their eyesight is not strong enough to do fine pistol shooting. 
Strong eyesight is not necessary, some of the best pistol shots 
in the world are men whose eyesight is far below normal, and 
who are compelled to wear glasses for defective sight. The 
''L" target has a bull's-eye five inches in diameter; a man's 
eyes must be indeed weak if he has trouble in seeing this 
bull's-eye at the extreme range of fifty yards. 

Shell-shoc^k. The favorite alibi for poor shooting for 
some of those who were over-seas is ''shell-shock." In nearly 
all of these cases it is nothing but a faulty trigger squeeze which 
can be overcome by careful practice. 

Some men say that they cannot learn it. The reason why 
is because they have never given it their best effort. It is not 
nearly as hard to learn as the driving of an automobile. A 
man that is in tHe service should remember that as a soldier 
it is his primary duty to learn to shoot straight; there is no 
telling when his. life may depend on his ability to shoot ac- 
curately. 

The disadvantage of shooting left handed. The left 
handed shooters are only handicapping themselves. The 
caliber .45 automatic pistol is made for a right handed shooter. 
The rule in the qualification course, and in all rapid and quick 
fire matches, is that the gun must be held at the raise pistol 
with the safety lock on, and the finger out of the trigger-guard 
until the target starts to move. The safety lock being on the 
left side, the right handed shooter can unlock the gun by a 
slight movement of the thumb as the gun is thrust to the 
shooting position. This movement of the thumb does not 
necessarily interfere with the grip of the gun. But the left 
hahded shooter must do one of two things: use the other hand 
to unlock the gun, which will consume valuable time in getting 
that hand back into position; or worse still he will have to 
loosen up the grip of the shooting hand to unlock with it. It 
requires the use of both hands to seat the gun properly in the 

• [7] 



shooting hand, consequently the left handed shooter in un- 
locking the gun in that manner does not regain the proper 
grip. It is no harder for the left handed man to learn to shoot 
right handed, and only takes a little practice for the man who 
has already learned, to shift over and shoot as well right handed 
as he did left handed. A man armed with the pistol is liable 
to fumble his gun in drawing it with the left hand, should an 
emergency arise requiring its use quickly. 

The benefit of prone shooting. Prone pistol shooting is 
advantageous to the beginner, in that it allows a more steady 
hold and a better aim while the trigger squeeze is being learned. 
Another benefit of prone shooting is that it gives a higher 
standard of hold, aim, and trigger squeeze, to try and come 
up to in the more unsteady off-hand position. Where the 
beginner tries to learn the trigger squeeze in the more unsteady 
off-hand position, he is liable to ''snap-shoot" when the sights 
look like they are aligned the best. 

The most comfortable prone position is as follows: lie 
straight towards the target, chest fiat on the ground, arms 
extended to the front and the elbows close together, hold the 
gun in accordance with the paragraph on the proper grip of an 
automatic pistol, except that the left hand grips the right hand 
as follows: the muscular part of the left thumb back of the 
muscular part of the right thumb, the end of the left thumb 
to the left of the right thumb, the fingers of the left hand over- 
lapping and gripping the fingers of the right hand. Care must 
be taken to so place the left thumb that it will not be hit by the 
slide in its rearward movement. 

The amount to face the target for the standing position. 
For the average man this will be so that he is shooting to the 
right front. For those whose physical conformation will per- 
mit, it will be to the right, while the man with the short or stiff 
neck will find that he must face the target more in order to 
maintain a comfortable position. Choose a position where 
you are shooting as near to the right as possible and still retain 
a comfortable position. Where the firer shoots directly to the 
right the line of recoil is in alignment with the arm, which is 
advantageous. Whereas if the firer shoots to the front the 
line of recoil is thrown out of alignment with the arm just the 

[81 




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distance from the eye, to a point over the shoulder. This is 
a disadvantage in that the recoil will throw the gun up and to 
the left, w^hich gives the wrist a painful twist, and the sights 
are harder to bring into alignment for the next shot if you are 
firing rapid or quick fire. 

Care must be taken to face the target the same foj* every 
shot, as this will keep the sights the same distance from the 
eye on all shots. It will also aid you in lining the sights up 
quickly in rapid and quick fire. 

The correct shooting position* Having determined the 
amount to face the target, choose a level place on which to 
stand, the feet about fifteen to twenty inches apart and turned 
out equally, the weight equal on both legs, the weight of the 
upper part of the body equal on the hips, shoulders on a line 
with the feet, head erect and turned towards the target, the 
arm extended to its full length, the muscles of the hand and 
wrist held rigid, but these are the only muscles so held, and 
outside of the muscles of the forearm, j^hich grips the gun, the 
flexor and extensor muscles of the arm are at rest; the gun, 
hand, and arm being supported by the heavy muscles of the 
shoulder. 

The distance the feet should be apart will vary according 
to the length of the legs and also to the direction and velocity 
of the wind. However, the feet should never be less than 
fifteen and not more than twenty inches apart. They should 
be turned out equally so that the firer will be well braced. 

Beginners are liable to do one of two things with the 
weight which will put them in an uncomfortable position: 
shift the weight of the upper part of the body to the right hip 
and the right leg; or they will go to the other extreme and 
crook the spine to the left, which gives them the appearance 
of holding up a heavy weight rather than a pistol the weight 
of which is less than three pounds. 

The left hand should be in the pocket, for then the 
shoulder droops down and to the front. If the hand is placed 
on the hip the shoulder is raised and thrown back causing the 
chest to be arched, and with the chest arched the firer is liable 
to make the mistake of getting too much air in the lungs while 
aiming. During the aim the lungs should be only half full of air. 

flOl 



In holding the breath, draw into the lungs a deep breath 
and let about half of it out, holding the rest by closing the 
throat and mouth, and not by a muscular effort of the dia- 
phragm. In rapid and quick fire, the inhahng and partial 
exhaling must be begun as soon as the target starts to move, 
and done quickly. 




Plate 2. 

Oblique view of firer in correct shooting 
position. 

Note the most advantageous position of the 
coach for slow and rapid fire. 



In turning the head to the right, be careful not to turn 
the shoulders also. This twisting of the spine, while it may not 
be noticed by the firer, will cause him to be under an unneces- 
sary strain that will have a good bit of effect on his steadiness 
of hold. 

1 11 1 




Plate 3. 

Front view showing firer in correct shooting 
position and the coach in the best position for 
observing the flight of the bullet. 



In keeping the head erect, your eye is the same distance 
from the sights for each shot, which gives you greater uni- 
formity of aim than could be obtained if the head was leaned 
forward for one shot and erect or back for the next. 

The straight arm position is the only way in which you 
can place the sights the same distance from the eye for each 
shot. Where the sights are not the same distance for each 
shot, the firer will unconsciously shoot with slight errors of 
aim that would be noticed and avoided if this distance was the 
same at all times. The straight arm position is the only one 
that enables the firer to get the line of recoil in alignment with 
the arm, and this is important in firing heavy calibered guns 
for two reasons: first, the wrist can best resist the recoil and 
align the sights for the next shot where the gun is thrown up 
by the force of the recoil; second, that where the line of recoil 
is not in alignment with the arm, the wrist is bent at a more 
acute angle and consequently the recoil will force the gun 
more to the left, thereby giving the wrist a bad twist that is 
painful, and will soon get the firer to flinching. The straight 
arm position can be assumed quickly by simply thrusting the 
arm out to its full length, whereas the crooked arm position 
requires more time and thought to assume. The arm is never 
bent the same on all shots, and this will change the distance 
from the eye to the sights, it will also cause the wrist to be bent 
more when the crook of the arm is greatest thereby changing 
the flip of the gun. From a stand point of comfort there is no 
question of the straight arm being the best, due to the fact 
that, outside of the muscles used in gripping the gun, the 
extensor and flexor muscles are at rest, the heavy shoulder 
muscles supporting the gun, hand, and arm. With the crooked 
arm position the extensor muscles are the only ones at rest. 
Accurate shooting requires the coordination of all the muscles 
in use, therefore the fewer muscles you bring into play the 
better coordination you will have. 

The proper grip of an automatic pistol. Force the gun 
well down into the hand with the barrel in direct prolongation 
of the fore-arm, then let the trigger finger come where it will 
on the trigger. If it comes on the joint so much the better, 
but do not twist the gun in the hand to make the joint of the 



finger come on the trigger. It is of primary importance that 
the barrel be straight with the fore-arm, in order that the line 
of recoil will be in alignment with the arm. This is necessary 
with all heavy calibered guns, otherwise the recoil will give the 




Plate 4. 

A close up view of the proper grip of an 
automatic pistol. 



wrist a bad twist that will soon cause the firer to develop a 
habit of flinching. (See test of grip.) Put the side of the 
joint of the thumb against the gun so that a pressure of the 
thumb will work against the pressure of the fore-finger on the 
opposite side of the gun; the face of thumb should be towards 
the target at all times. The thumb if pointed down will have 
a bad effect on the flip of the pistol when it recoils. All men 
when first learning to shoot the pistol have difficulty in keep- 
ing the thumb up. They are inclined to grip the gun with the 

f 141 



face of the thumb, and to drop it down to where it will touch 
the end of the second finger. With this position of the thumb 
it interferes with the grip of the pistol, and there is no pressure 
working against that of the fore-finger. It is important that 
this pressure be exerted on a level with, and straight across to 
the fore-finger. This pressure is, in amount, just enough to 
counteract the pressure of the fore-finger. It is not a part of 
the grip that holds the gun. The grip that holds the gun is 
on the left diagonal when the gun is held in the shooting posi- 
tion. Or in other words, from the left front of the gun to the 
right rear when held in the shooting position. The grip that 
holds th€ gun is just tight enough, so that when the pistol is 
fired the recoil will not change the position of the pistol in the 
hand, and that the gun can be held with the same grip and the 
same amount of pressure from the first shot to the last with- 
out^renewing the grip during the entire string. A good bit of 
time in rapid and quick fire can be lost by having to shift the 
gun back into position after each shot, as would be the case 
in a grip that was too loose. The muscles of the hand and 
wrist should be held rigid. These are the only muscles so held. 
For those whose hand is inclined to be short and well muscled, 
the following is a good test that the proper grip of the gun has 
been taken: 

'The hammer will slightly pinch the hand against the 
horn of the pistol when the slide is in its rear-most position. 
However this pinching is so slight that it will not be noticed 
in shooting unless the hand is exceptionally well muscled, in 
which case a leather glove with the thumb and fingers cut out 
should be worn while firing." 

The grip of a revolver. The grip of a revolver is the same 
as that mentioned in the last paragraph except the pressure 
that holds the gun is from the left (when held in the shooting 
position) working against an equal amount of pressure from 
the right, and partly by the muscular part of the thumb 
exerting a pressure against an equal amount of pressure from 
the right front of the gun. 

The correct aim. The caliber .45 automatic pistol is 
sighted in so that at fifteen yards the point of aim is at the 
bottom of the bull's-eye, at twenty-five yards two inches of 

fl5 1 



white line on the target is visible between the tops of the 
sights and the bottom of the bull's-eye, at fifty yards four 
inches and at seventy-five yards back up against the bottom 
of the bull's-eye. The foregoing will give some idea of the 
flatness of the trajectory. The tops of the front and rear 
sights are as near even as the eye can align them. The two 
strips of daylight on each side of the front sight must remain 
of uniform width. 

A poorly instructed pistol shooter will, when groups high 
or low are being obtained, try to correct for it by seeing more 
or less front sight; the amount of front sight cannot be accu- 
rately judged in this manner. The correct thing to do would 
be to keep the tops of the sights even, and aim at a lower or 
higher point as the case may be. Some men unconsciously 
fall into the habit of aiming over one side of the front sight. 
When the sun is to the right or left of the firer, some men will 
divide the amount of light instead of the amount of space on 
each side of the front sight. 

The focusing of the eye. The eye will only focus on one 
distance at a time, and as the front and rear sights on the 
pistol are in line of view when you look at the bull's-eye, your 
eye should at all tiines be focused on the bull's-eye. This will 
cause the sights to appear sHghtly blurred, but will give the 
shooter a clear definition of the bull's-eye at all times. 

Shooting with both eyes open. If a person intends to 
follow the shooting game, it is better to learn to shoot with 
both eyes open as this will reduce the strain on the eye. To 
learn this: start the aim by closing the eye that is not to be 
used, and while you are aiming gradually open the eye not 
being used. At first you will find that when you open the eye 
not being used you cannot continue the aim, but a little practice 
and it will come easily. After you have practiced this for 
awhile you will be able to start and continue the aim without 
closing either eye. What you have really done is to concen- 
trate the vision on the aiming eye, and you do not see anything 
with the other. 

Aiming with the wrong eye. In shooting a pistol the arm 
and the pistol barrel should be as near in alignment as they 
can be brought. If a person is shooting right handed and aim- 

[161 



ing with the left eye, or vice versa, he must bring the gun 
farther over to the left, thereby bringing the recoil more out 
of alignment with the arm, the difficulties of which have been 
fully explained in the paragraph on the amount to face the 
target, and also in the sub-paragraph on the proper grip of an 
automatic pistol. 

Eye troubles. When a person is not used to aiming, the 
eye waters a good deal, which can be partly overcome by daily 
practice in aiming. A wind from the direction of the targets 
blows the powder gases back into the eye, which causes a blur. 
Shooting with glasses in a wind of this sort is advantageous. 
Never rub the eye when it blurs, as this will only make matters 
worse. One good eye specialist has written that the eye 
should only be rubbed with the elbow. Some blurs are caused 
by an excess amount of oil on the gun, and the gun when fired 
throws the oil into the eye where it forms a film over the eye. 
If you are shooting slow fire when the eye blurs, discontinue 
the aim for a short time, but keep looking at the target until 
the vision clears; then continue the aim. If the eye is closed 
to clear a blur, it will not be accustomed to the light when it 
is opened again, and only regains normal vision after it has 
been opened for a few seconds. If you are shooting in rapid 
or quick fire, one must of course shoot as well as possible 
through the blur. A good eye conditioner is to put a drop of 
ten. per cent solution of argyral in the eye, followed about an 
hour later by the application to the eye of an eye-cup contain- 
ing a five per cent solution of boric acid. When the cup is 
placed over the eye, the eye should be open so that the solu- 
tion can easily reach all parts of the eye. 

When the shot group is not centered. This does not 
necessarily mean that the sights need adjustment. Several 
things may be the matter. Shot groups that are off to the 
side may be caused by the following: when the shadow of the 
front sight is to the side, the firer is liable to divide the amount 
of light instead of the amount of space on each side of the front 
sight; or by the firer aiming over one side of the front sight and 
disregarding the other side; and by the shooter trying to rush 
the trigger squeeze so as to fire the gun while the sights look 
like they are aligned the best. In this error, which is the 

I 171 



most common, the aim is not at fault, but the muzzle is de- 
flected by the faulty trigger squeeze, due to the fact that in rush- 
ing the trigger squeeze in this manner the firer knows the exact 
instant that the discharge of the gun is to be, and knowing 
this he flinches, thereby deflecting the muzzle. Shot groups 
that are off center up and down are caused by the following: 
in shooting towards the sun, the light reflects back from the 
front sight, causing it to be so poorly outlined that the shooter 
is liable to unconsciously fire with errors of aim that would be 
plainly noticed and avoided if he were shooting away from the 
sun ; and also by the firer trying to rush the trigger squeeze as 
mentioned above. 

Trigger squeeze. A man in learning to shoot the pistol 
goes through three distinct periods of trigger squeeze before he 
becomes a fine pistol shot. It has been said that there is more 
misconception of pistol shooting than any other sport, and the 
greatest delusion of the novice is the trigger squeeze. The 
first period is the layman's idea of squeezing the trigger. It 
requires good coaching or a long period of experience for a man 
to pass from the first to the second period ; but when the firer 
has mastered the second period he will unconsciously acquire 
the third period of trigger squeeze. 

First period of trigger squeeze: The novice thinks that 
all expert pistol shots w^ait until the sights are lined up 
perfectly, and that they then give the trigger the added 
pressure to fire the shot, and that the added pressure 
should be given in such a manner that the firer will know 
the exact instant that the gun is going off. The man who 
does not break away from this kind of trigger squeeze will 
always remain a poor pistol shot. The giving of the added 
pressure in the above mentioned manner will deflect the 
muzzle enough to make the shot go wild, but the greatest 
deflection of the muzzle comes when the muscles of the 
arm are stiffened and the arm thrust forward to meet the 
force of the recoil. This involuntary action of the 
muscles of the arm and shoulder can only be controlled 
in one way, and that is done by firing the shot in such a 
manner that the firer does not know the exact instant 
that the discharge of the gun is to take place. 

f 181 



Second period of trigger squeeze: When the firer has 
learned that the nervousness of the arm does not affect 
his good shooting but very Httle, because the natural un- 
steadiness of the arm moves the whole pistol, and the 
barrel remains nearly parallel to the line of sight ; and that 
if he holds the gun as near the correct aim as he can, let- 
ting the gun weave back and forth and up and down, but 
squeezing the trigger all of the time with a steady increase 
of pressure, and in such a manner that he will not know 
when the discharge of the gun is to take place. He must 
avoid trying to squeeze the trigger faster when the sights 
are in perfect alignment than he does when the sights are 
slightly out of alignment. The man who has learned 
this second period of trigger squeeze can shoot well enough 
to qualify as expert pistol shot. 

Third period of trigger squeeze: To squeeze the trigger 
only when the sights are in perfect alignment, and when 
they get out of alignment to hold what has been squeezed 
on the trigger until the sights are again lined up perfectly, 
then to again squeeze the trigger with the same steady 
increase of pressure, and to continue this until the gun 
goes off in such a manner that the firer does not know the 
exact instant that the discharge of the gun is to be. This 
is not so hard to do in slow fire, but in rapid and quick 
fire the time limit on firing a string of shots makes it far 
more difficult to acquire. Where rapidity of fire is called 
for, the shooter should do some things quickly in order to 
have more time to spend on the trigger squeeze, that is: 
he should practice thrusting the gun from the raise pistol 
to the shooting position, and during this thrust of the 
pistol the safety lock should be thrown off. Accuracy in 
thrusting the pistol to the shooting position is important, 
for then you do not have to move the sights so far in 
aligning them. The grip of the pistol should be uniform, 
for then when the recoil comes the gun flips to the same 
place every time, which makes the sights easier to bring 
into alignment for the next shot. The firer vshoukl ac- 
quire the habit of doing these things instinctively. The 

[191 



man who has learned this period of trigger squeeze and 
can apply it correctly in all classes of fire is the shooter 
who is found at the top in a pistol competition. 

Different from the rifle trigger squeeze. The pistol trig- 
ger squeeze is different from the rifle trigger squeeze, in that 
with the pistol you do not squeeze with the whole hand. The 
movement of the trigger finger must not molest the grip of the 
hand by causing the other fingers to tighten or loosen their 
grip. Finger exercises that will give better control to the 
muscles of the hand are beneficial. 

Method of learning the trigger squeeze. To learn to 
squeeze the trigger properly, the firer should start off with 
prone pistol shooting, or firing from a muzzle and elbow rest, 
in order that the difficulties of learning it will not be increased 
by an unsteady hold and a poor aim. Where the firer uses a 
rest he is able to hold the gun much steadier, and maintain 
a far better aim than could be hoped for in the off-hand posi- 
tion. After the method of squeezing the trigger has been 
learned, the off-hand position should be used. The method 
of squeezing the trigger in slow, rapid, and quick fire, is the 
same except that where time is an element in the firing of a 
string of shots the squeeze is done faster, but still in such a 
manner that the shooter does not know the exact instant that 
the discharge of the gun is to be. When the shooter can get 
good scores in slow fire, he should advance to the more difficult 
classes of fire, which are: rapid and quick fire. 

When to use the second and third periods of trigger 
squeeze. A man who has started his pistol training with prone 
or muzzle rest shooting, can apply the third period of trigger 
squeeze in slow fire, but when he comes to the more unsteady 
off-hand position, he will have to resort to the second period 
of trigger squeeze until the nervousness of the arm has been 
overcome by practice. The trigger squeeze can be learned in 
the off-hand position, but it requires a longer period of practice, 
and the flinching habit in some cases is liable to become set 
before they have time and practice enough to acquire it, due 
to the unsteady position. In rapid and quick fire the second 
period of trigger squeeze should be used; and in these two 

[20] 



classes of fire the passing from the second to the third period 
of trigger squeeze will be acquired unconsciously. 

The most frequent errors of the new shooter. Failure to 
throw the safety lock off for the first shot in rapid and quick 
fire. Sometimes the shooter does not fill the magazine with 
the correct number of cartridges. Not shoving the magazine 
all the way up when it is inserted, therefore, in the act of 
loading, when the slide goes forward it does not strip the first 
cartridge out of the magazine and into the barrel. In rapid 
and quick fire forgetting to release the trigger after each shot 
is fired. Too much loss of time in aligning the sights in rapid 
and quick fire by giving the pistol a flourish over the shoulder 
after each shot is fired. Relaxing and theii tightening the grip 
of the pistol in rapid and quick fire, which causes an unneces- 
sary loss of time that could have been used to advantage in 
squeezing the trigger. 

Hip shooting as compared to aiming. While it is a fact 
that the tales of hip shooting should not be taken too seriously, 
it is not entirely a delusion; a person can become proficient 
enough in this class of fire to group all of his shots in a twenty 
inch circle at fifteen yards, but a shooter with the same 
amount of practice, shooting in the ordinary way, can maintain 
a shot group of two inches in diameter at the same distance. 



[21 



EXTRACT FROM PISTOL MARKSMANSHIP MANUAL 

(Paragraghs 81-90; 119) 

Chapter 11 
INSTRUCTION PRACTICE 

81. Tabulation. The following tables prescribe the firing 
in instruction practice in the order followed by the individual 
soldier. Target ''L" is used in much of the practice, as the 
bull's-eye makes competition keener and shows up errors as no 
other target can. 

82. Slow fire.— 

Table 1.— Slow fire — Target ''L". 

Range Time Scores, minimum 

15 yards No time limit 2 

25 yards No time limit 2 

20 yards No time limit 1 

Unlimited time is permitted in slow fire in order to permit 
proper explanation of the causes of errors and indication of 
corresponding remedies. It is intended to be the elementary 
phase of instruction in the proper manipulation of the weapon 
and for determining and correcting the personal errors of the 
firer. 

83. Rapid fire. — 

Table 2.— Rapid fire — Target "L". 

Range - Time Scores, minimum 

15 yards 1 score 30 seconds and 1 

score in 15 seconds 2 

25 yards 1 score 30 seconds and 1 

score in 20 seconds 2 



Time is taken at the firing point. The target being up, 
the soldier stands with weapon at ''Raise pistol", loaded and 
locked. The command ''Commence firing" is given and the 
soldier must fire seven shots within the prescribed limit of 
time, at the end of which the command "Cease firing" will be 
given. Intervals of time are measured from the last words of 
the command. 

[221 



84. Quick fire. — 

Table 3. — Quick fire — Target "E" — Bobbing. 

Range Time Scores, minimum 

15 yards 2 seconds per shot 2 

25 yards 3 seconds per shot 2 

The target is operated as a bobbing target. Three to 
five seconds after notice is received at the pit that all is ready 
at the firing point the target is alternately exposed to view and 
turned away from view of the firing point; exposures are of 
two or three seconds duration, depending upon the range, with 
an interval of three to five seconds between exposures. The 
soldier stands at the firing point at ''Raise pistol." The 
pistol is loaded and locked. Upon the first exposure of the 
target the soldier fires one shot at it before it disappears. He 
fires one shot at each reappearance until seven shots have been 
fired. The weapon is held between shots at ''Raise pistol." 
The value of a hit on this target is 1. 

85. Skirmish run. — 

Table 4.- — Skirmish run — Target ''E" — Bobbing. 

Range Time Shots 

50 yards 5 seconds per shot 2 

25 yards 3 seconds per shot 2 

15 yards .......... 2 seconds per shot 3 



This firing is to introduce the element of moving forward. 
The soldier halts to fire. Considerable loss of accuracy would 
result from firing while walking or running. 

Men to fire are formed in line at the 50-yard point, each 
opposite his own target, pistols loaded, locked, and held at 
''Raise pistol." The targets are edge to the front. 

Four or five seconds after the pit is notified that all is 
ready at the firing point, targets are exposed twice for 5 
seconds, with an interval of 2 to 5 seconds between exposures. 
The men fire one shot at each exposure. An interval of 10 
seconds is then allowed, during which time the line advances 
at double time to the 25-yard point by command of the in- 
structor, alignment being mantained. 

123 1 



At the expiration of the 10-second interval the targets 
are exposed twice for 3 seconds, with an interval of 2 to 5 
seconds between exposures. The men fire one shot at each 
exposure. An interval of 7 seconds is then allowed while the 
line advances as before at double time to the fifteen yard point. 
At the expiration of the 7 seconds the targets are exposed three 
times for 2 seconds, with an interval of 2 to 5 seconds between 
exposures. The men fire one shot at each exposure. 

Pistols are locked before moving forward and are held at 
''Raise pistol" between shots. Visual signals should be used 
in the pit in order that the commands for exposing the targets 
may not be heard at the firing line. 



Chapter 12 
RECORD PRACTICE 

86. Tabulation. The following tables prescribe the firing 
in record practice in the order followed by the individual 
soldier. The procedure is as in instruction practice. 

87. Slow fire.— 

Table 5.— Slow fire — Target "L". 
Range Time Scores 

25 yards No time limit 1 

50 yards No time limit 1 



88. Rapid fire.— 

Table 6.— Rapid fire — Target 'T". 

Range Time Scores 

15 yards 15 seconds per score 2 

25 yards 20 seconds per score 2 



89. Quick fire.— 

Table 7.— Quick fire — Target "E"— Bobbing. 

Range Time Scores 

25 yards 3 seconds per shot 2 

50 yards 5 seconds per shot 2 

[24] 



90. Qualification. The record course, as above prescribed, 
is the quaUfication course. No separate course is fired as an 
expert test. The scores for quaUfication are as prescribed in 
the following paragraph : 

119. Requirements, dismounted course. The require- 
ments for qualification in the several grades of marksmanship, 
dismounted, are given in the following table: 

Classification, dismounted. 

Average Percentage in Slow, Rapid, 
Grade and Quick Fire 

Pistol expert At least 80 per cent 

Pistol sharpshooter At least 70 per cent 

Pistol marksman At least 60 per cent 

Unqualified Less than 60 per cent 

In applying the provisions of the above table the soldier's 
percentage is obtained as follows: Find the percentage of the 
total slow fire score ; find the percentage of the total rapid fire 
score; find the percentage of the total quick fire score; add 
these three percentages together and divide by three to give 
the final average percentage. 

Points on coaching men. The coach should never lay 
hands on the firer to correct his position, but should tell the 
shooter how to get into position, even though this method 
takes longer; it is embarrassing to the shooter to be shoved 
around into position. Make sure by questions, that the firer 
understands the proper shooting position; gripping the gun 
correctly; aiming the gun correctly; and how the trigger must 
be squeezed. Have the firer squeeze the trigger several times 
without aiming, and when he says that the hammer falls so 
that he cannot tell when it will fall, let him try aiming and 
squeezing the trigger until the coach believes by questioning 
the firer that he has mastered this, now load the gun and start 
prone shooting. If the shooter makes seventy-five per cent 
of the possible score at twenty-five yards, and fifty per cent 
of the possible score at fifty yards, advance him to the off-hand 
position. Do not advance the firer to the more difiicult classes 
of fire (rapid and quick fire), until he has mastered the trigger 
squeeze in slow fire. To advance the shooter too rapidly is 

[251 



very liable to bring on flinching, and once the flinching habit 
has become set, it is hard to overcome. The position of the 
coach, while the firer is in the prone position, is: lying with 
his left side towards the target, and far enough forward that 
he can see the firer's aiming eye, and occasionally watch the 
movement of the trigger finger. The position of the coach in 
slow and rapid fire (off-hand position) is the same as mentioned 
for the prone position, except the coach is standing. In quick 
fire the position of the coach is back of the firer, and with his 
eye as near in alignment with the flight of the bullet as the 
shooter's head will permit; this position of the coach is for the 
purpose of watching the flight of the bullet, that he may 
caution the firer where each shot is going, and thereby correct 
his point of aim should the firer be consistently missing the 
target at any one point. The shooter will reflect the attitude 
of the coach, that is: if the coach is careless in his instructions 
on the shooting position, aiming, etc., the shooter will do these 
things in the same slip-shod manner; whereas if the coach had 
insisted on exactness, the shooter will have more confidence in 
the coach and will put forth a greater effort to learn. For the 
first eight or ten months that a man is in the service he will 
try harder to learn than he will later on, and this period should 
be taken advantage of. The poorest shots should be put 
under the best coaches and given additional practice. 

Classification and medals. Pistol marksmanship manual 
prescribes the method of obtaining the final percentage as 
follows : divide the total slow fire score made, by the possible 
score (140 possible score); divide the total rapid fire score 
made, by the possible score (280 possible score); divide the 
total quick fire score made, by the possible score (28 possible 
score) ; add these three percentages and divide by three, which 
gives the final percentage. Eighty per cent or better in record 
practice qualifies the shooter as an expert pistol shot; seventy 
and under eighty per cent, pistol sharpshooter; sixty and 
under seventy per cent, pistol marksman; all under sixty per 
cent are unqualified. The value of hits on the bull's-eye 
target run from a count of two to ten; while the value of a hit 
on the bobbing target (quick fire) has a count of one. 



26 



The classification as a distinguished pistol shot is perma« 
nent, and requires the winning of any three of the following 
medals : 

(a) The medals won in the Marine Corps Divisional, 
Marine Corps Pistol Match, Army Department, Depart- 
mental, combined Departmental, Corps area, Division,. 
Divisional, or Army pistol or revolver competitions. 

(b) The medals won in the National individual pistol 
match, and the members of medal winning teams in the 
National pistol team match regardless of whether the 
team represented the Marine Corps or not. 

A gold medal emblematical of this classification will be 
issued to the shooter winning any three of the above mentioned 
medals, which, if lost after being received by him, can be re- 
placed by purchase only; authority for such replacement must 
be obtained by Marines from Headquarters U. S. Marine 
Corps. The pistol qualification badge should not be worn on 
the uniform with this medal. 

Table of percentages. The following table of percentages 
is for the purpose of quickly and accurately determining the 
final percentage of the firer. In the first column locate the 
total score of twenty-five and fifty yards slow fire, or the total 
score of fifteen and twenty-five yards rapid fire, or the total 
score of twenty-five and fifty yards quick fire; directly opposite 
the score and under the proper heading will be found the per- 
centage of the score made. The three percentages thus 
obtained should be added together and then divided by three 
to determine the final percentage of the shooter. 



Slow, Rapid and 


Slow Fire 


Rapid Fire 


Quick Fire 


Quick Fire Score 


Percentage 


Percentage 


Percentage 


1 


•Vu 


Vm 


3 Vm 


2 


1 Vl4 


■Vi4 


7Vm 


3 


2 Vm 


1 Vm 


10>Vm 


4 


2'V.4 


1 Vm 


14 Vm 


5 


3 Vm 


1'Vm 


17>Vm 


6 


4Vm 


2 Vm 


21 Vu 


7 


5 


2 Vm 


25 


8 


5'Vm 


2'Vu 


28 Vm 


9 


6Vm 


3Vm 


i2 Vm 



127 



Slow, Rapid and 
Quick Fire Score 


Slow Fire 
Percentage 


Rapid Fire 
Percentage 




Quick Fire 
Percentage 




10 


7Vl4 




3 


Vl4 






35'Vi4 






11 


71VI4 




31V14 






39 


V.4 






12 


8 Vl4 




4 


Vl4 






42" 


Vl4 






13 


9Vh 




4 


Vl4 






46 


V.4 






14 


10 




5 








50 








15 


lO'Vu 




5 


Vl4 






53 


V.4 






16 


11 Vl4 




51V14 






57 


V.4 






17 


12 Vl4 




6 


Vl4 






6O1V.4 






18 


12iVi4 




6 


Vl4 






64 


V.4 






19 


13 Vl4 




8^714 






671V14 






20 


14 Vl4 




7 


Vl4 






71 


V.4 






21 


15 




7 


Vl4 






75 








22 


15'Vl4 




71V14 






78 


V.4 






23 


16 Vl4 




8 


Vl4 






82. 


V.4 






24 


17 Vl4 




8 


Vl4 






85' 


V.4 






25 


171VI4 




8^ 


Vl4 






89 


Vl4 






26 


18 Vl4 




9 


Vl4 






92' 


V.4 






27 


19 Vl4 




9 


Vl4 






96 


Vl4 






28 


20 




10 






] 


100 






Slow and 

Rapid Fire 

Score 


Slow Fire 
Percentage 


Rapid Fire 
Percentage 


Slow and 

Rapid Fire 

Score 


Slow Fire 
Percentage 


Rapid Fire 
Percentage 


29 


20"/i4 


10 Vl4 


51 






36 


Vl4 






18 V.4 


30 


21 Vl4 


lO^Vu 


52 






37 


Vl4 






18 V.4 


31 


22 Vi4 


11 Vl4 


53 






3712/14 






18"V.4 


32 


22iVi4 


11 Vl4 


54 






3S 


Vl4 






19 V.4 


33 


23 Vi4 


ll'Vl4 


55 






39 


'/u 






19 Vl4 


34 


24Vi4 


12 Vl4 


56 






40 








20 


35 


25 


12 Vl4 


57 






4010/1^ 






20 Vi4 


36 


25i»/i4 


121V14 


58 






41 


Vu 






201V.4 


37 


26Vi4 


13 Vl4 


59 






42 


Vu 






21 V.4 


38 


27 Vx4 


13 Vl4 


60 






42^71^ 






21 V.4 


39 


271V14 


13iVh 


61 






43 


Vu 






21"/l4 


40 


28 Vi4 


14 Vl4 


62 






44 


Vu 






22 V.4 


41 


29 V.4 


14 Vl4 


63 






45 








22 Vi4 


42 


30 


15 


64 






4510/1^ 






221V.4 


43 


30'0/u 


15 Vl4 


65 






46 


Vu 






23 V.4 


44 


31 Vl4 


151V14 


66 






47 


Vu 






23 Vi4 


45 


32 Vu 


16 Vl4 


67 






4712/1^ 






231V.4 


46 


3212/14 


16 V.4 


68 






48 


Vu 






24 V.4 


47 


33 Vi4 


16"/l4 


69 






49 


Vu 






24 V.4 


48 


34 Vu 


17 Vl4 


70 






50 








25 


49 


35 


17 V.4 


71 






50' 


Vu 






25 Vi4 


50 


35'Vi4 


171V14 


72 






51 


Vu 






251V14 



[28 



Slow and 

Rapid Fire 

Score 


Slow Fire 
Percentage 


Rapid Fire 
Percentage 


Slow and 

Rapid Fire 

Score 


Slow Fire 
Percentage 


Rapid Fire 
Percentage 


73 


52 V.4 


26 Vh 


107 


76 Vi4 


38 V.4 


74 


52iVu 


26 Vi4 


108 


77 V.4 


38 V.4 


75 


53 Vi4 


26>Vi4 


109 


771V.4 


381V.4 


76 


54 Vi4 


27 Vi4 


110 


78 V.4 


39 v.* 


77 


55 


27 Vi4 


111 


79 Vi4 


39 V.4 


78 


55'Vi4 


271V14 


112 


80 


40 


79 


56 Vu 


28 Vi4 


113 


80"/„ 


40 V.4 


80 


57 Vu 


28 Vi4 


114 


81 V.4 


40'V.4 


81 


571V14 


28iVi4 


115 


82 V.4 


41 Vi* 


82 


58 Vi4 


29 Vi4 


116 


82iVi4 


41 V.4 


S3 


59 Vi4 


29 V.4 


117 


83 Vi4 


4PV.4 


84 


60 


30 


118 


84 V.4 


42 V.4 


85 


60W/14 


30 V.4 


119 


85 


42 V.4 


86 


61 Vl4 


30"/.4 


120 


851V14 


421V.4 


87 


62 Vh 


31 Vl4 


121 


86 Vi4 


43 v.* 


88 


62'Vu 


31 V.4 


122 


87 V.4 


43 V.4 


89 


63 Vi4 


31"A4 


123 


871V.4 


431V.4 


90 


64 V.4 


32 V.4 


124 


88 Vi4 


44 Vi4 


91 


65 


32 V.4 


125 


89 V.4 


44 V.4 


92 


651V14 


321V.4 


126 


90 


45 


93 


66 Vi4 


33 V.4 


127 


90'V.4 


45 V.4 


94 


67 Vi4 


33 V.4 


128 


91 V.4 


45'Vi4 


95 


671V14 


331V.4 


129 


92 V.4 


46 Vi4 


96 


68 Vi4 


34 V.4 


130 


921V.4 


46 V.4 ■ 


97 


69 Vi4 


34 V.4 


131 


93 Vi4 


461V.4 


98 


70 


35 


132 


94 V.4 


47 V.4 


99 


701V14 


35 V.4 


133 


95 


47 V.4 


100 


71 Vl4 


351V.4 


134 


951V.4 


47'V.4 


101 


72 Vu 


, 36 V.4 


135 


96 V.4 


48 V.4 


102 


72iVh 


36 Vi4 


136 


97 Vi4 


48 V.4 


103 


73 Vi4 


361V.4 


137 


971V.4 


4813/,, 


104 


74 Vi4 


37 V.4 


138 


98 V.4 


49 V.4 


105 


75 


37 V.4 


139 


99 V.4 


49 V.4 


106 


75'Vi4 


371V.4 


140 


100 


50 



29 



Rapid Fire 
Score 


Rapid Fire 
Percentage 


Rapid Fire 
Score 


Rapid Fire 
Percentage 


Rapid Fire 
Score 


Rapid Fire 
Percentage 


141 


50 Vi4 


188 


67 V.4 


235 


831V14 


142 


501-/14 


189 


67 V.4 


236 


84 Vi4 


143 


51 Vu 


190 


67'Vi4 


237 


84 Vi4 


144 


51 V.4 


191 


68 Vi4 


238 


85 


145 


51'Vl4 


192 


68 Vi4 


239 


85 Vi4 


146 


52 Vi4 


193 


681V14 


240 


851V14 


147 


52 Vi4 


194 


69 Vi4 


241 


86 Vi4 


148 


52iVi4 


195 


69 Vi4 


242 


86 V.4 


149 


53 Vi4 


196 


70 


243 


86IV14 


150 


53 Vu 


197 


70 Vi4 


244 


87 Vi4 


151 


531V14 ■ 


198 


701V14 


245 


87 V.4 


152 


54 Vi4 


199 


71 Vl4 


246 


87>V.4 


153 


54 Vi4 


200 


71 Vl4 


247 


88 Vi4 


154 


55 


201 


711V14 


248 


88 Vi4 


155 


55 Vi4 


202 


72 Vi4 


249 


88'V.4 


156 


55"/i4 


203 


72 Vi4 


250 


89 Vi4 


157 


56 Vi4 


204 


72*Vi4 


251 


89 Vi4 


158 


56 V.4 


205 


73 Vi4 


252 


90 


159 


56iVu 


206 ^ 


73 Vi4 


253 


90 Vi4 


160 


57 Vi4 


207 


731V.4 


254 


90iVi4 


. 161 


57 Vi4 


208 


74 V.4 


255 


91 V.4 


162 


5712/14 


209 


74Vi4 


256 


91 V.4 


163 


58 Vu 


210 


75 


257 


9I1V14 


164 


58 Vi4 


211 


75 Vi4 


258 


92 Vi4 


165 


58iVi4 


212 


751V14 


259 


92 Vi4 


166 


59 Vi4 


213 


76 Vi4 


260 


921V14 


167 


59 Vi4 


214 


76 Vi4 


261 


93 V.4 


168 


60 


215 


76iVi4 


262 


93 Vi4 


169 


60 V.4 


216 


77 Vi4 


263 


931V14 


170 


6O1V14 


217 


77 V.4 


264 


94 Vi4 


171 


61 Vl4 


218 


771V14 


265 


94Vi4 


172 


61 V.4 


219 


78 Vi4 


266 


95 


173 


611V14 


220 


78 Vi4 


267 


95 V.4 


174 


62 Vi4 


221 


78iVi4 


268 


951V14 


175 


62 Vi4 


222 


79 Vi4 


269 


96 Vi4 


176 


62iVi4 


223 


79 Vi4 


270 


96 Vi4 


177 


63 Vi4 


224 


80 


271 


96"/,4 


178 


63 Vi4 


225 


80 Vi4 


272 


97 Vi4 


179 


631V14 


226 


8OIV.4 


273 


97 Vi4 


180 


64 Vi4 


227 


81 Vl4 


274 


971V14 


181 


64 Vi4 


228 


81 V.4 


275 


98 Vi4 


182 


65 


229 


8I1V.4 


276 


98 Vi4 


183 


65 Vi4 


230 


82 V.4 


277 


98>Vu 


184 


651V14 


231 


82 Vi4 


278 


99 Vi4 


185 


66 V.4 


232 


82'V.4 


279 


99 Vi4 


186 


66 V.4 


233 


83 Vi4 


280 


100 


187 


661V.4 


234 


83 Vi4 







30 



Description of the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 

1911 

The automatic pistols, caliber .45, model of 1911, in the 
military service are marked on the right side, ''Model of 1911, 
U. S. Army"; on the left side, ''United States Property." 
They are also marked with the serial. number of the pistol. 



Component Parts 



Receiver. 

Barrel, 

Slide. 

Plunger tube. 

Slide-stop plunger. 

Plunger spring. 

Safety-lock plunger. 

Slide stop. 

Rear sight. 

Front sight. 

Link. 

Link pin. 

Barrel bushing. 

Recoil spring. 

Recoil-spring guide. 

Plug. 

Extractor. 

Ejector. 

Ejector pin. 

Firing pin. 

Firing-pin spring. 

Firing-pin stop. 

Hammer. 

Hammer pin. 

Hammer strut. 

Hammer-strut pin. 

Mainspring. 



Mainspring cap. 

Mainspring-cap pin. 

Sear. 

Sear spring. 

Sear pin. 

Disconnector. 

Trigger. 

Grip safety. 

Safety lock. 

Mainspring housing. 

Housing pin. 

Housing-pin retainer 

Lanyard loop. 

Lanyard-loop pin. 

Magazine tube. 

Magazine base. 

Magazine pins. (2) [ Magazine. 

Magazine loop. 

Magazine spring. 

Magazine follower. 

Magazine catch. 

Magazine-catch spring. 

Magazine-catch lock. 

Stocks, left and right. 

Stock screws (4). 

Stock-screw bushings (4) 



Detailed Description 

The three principal parts of the pistol are the receiver, 
barrel, and slide. 

The receiver has suitable guides for the reciprocating 
slide, and a hollow handle in which the magazine is inserted 
from below and locked in place by the magazine catch. The 

[31] 



magazine may be removed by pressure upon the checkered 
end of the magazine catch which projects from the left side 
of the receiver in a convenient position for operation by the 
thumb. 

The trigger is seated in front of the handle in the trigger 
guard. In rear and above the handle the firing mechanism is 
arranged, comprising the hammer, sear, (automatic) discon- 
nector, grip safety, and safety lock; also the mainspring and 
the sear spring. The mainspring is seated within the main- 
spring housing and held there by the mainspring cap pin. 
The mainspring housing also contains the mainspring cap and 
the housing pin retainer. The conical point of the latter 
protrudes slightly into the hole for the housing pin, engaging 
with the groove around the middle thereof, thereby holding 
the housing pin in place. 

The sear spring has a rib on its lower end which fits into 
a slot in the rear wall of the magazine seat and keeps the 
spring from moving vertically. The mainspring housing, 
bearing against the rear of the spring, locks it in position and 
gives to it the required tension. The hammer strut is attached 
to the hammer in rear of its pivot by means of the hammer 
strut pin. Its lower end rests in the mainspring cap. 

Above the handle on the left side are the slide stop plunger 
and safety lock plunger with their ends protruding from the 
front and rear, respectively, of the plunger tube. The plun- 
ger spring is seated between the plungers and within the 
plunger tube and yieldingly holds them in position. 

The ejector is seated at the top of the receiver near the 
rear and at the left side. It is held in place by the ejector 
pin. 

The top of the receiver forward of the trigger guard has a 
semi-tubular extension which forms the seat for the rear 
portion of the recoil spring. 

The barrel of the pistol is largest at the breech, and at 
the top has two transverse locking ribs, the forward edges of 
which, together with the forward edge of the breech portion, 
serve to positively interlock the barrel with the slide when in 
the firing position. At its rear is an extension which facilitates 
the entrance of the cartridge from the magazine into the 

[32] 



chamber. The rear end of the barrel is attached to the 
receiver by the link, link pin, and the pin of the slide stop, and 
swinging thereon can move a limited distance lengthwise and 
also in a vertical plane. 

The side walls of the slide overlap the sides of the receiver, 
and being provided with longitudinal ribs corresponding with 
similar grooves at the top of the receiver, the slide is free to 
move longitudinally. 

The slide has at its front end a strong tubular abutment 
which is in line with the forward portion of the receiver, and 
which permits the slide to move to the rear until the rear end 
of the abutment comes in contact with the shoulder in the 
receiver at its forward end, thereby positively limiting the 
rearward movement of the slide. The latter is therefore 
necessarily assembled to the receiver from the front, and is 
prevented from being thrown rearward from the receiver 
under any circumstances. 

In the abutment or front end of the slide are seated the 
forward portion of the recoil spring and the plug, w^hile the 
rear end of the recoil spring and the recoil spring guide are 
supported by the shoulder in the front end of the receiver. 

The barrel bushing fits into the front end of the slide, 
supports the muzzle end of the barrel, and holds the plug and 
recoil spring in place. 

When the slide and the barrel therein are mounted upon 
the receiver and the slide stop is in its place, so that the pin 
part of the slide stop locks the barrel to the receiver through 
the link, the slide is thereby positively locked in place upon 
the receiver. 

The firing pin, firing-pin spring, (shell) extractor are 
carried in the rear of the slide and locked by the firing-pin 
stop. By pressing the firing pin forward so as to clear the 
firing-pin stop, the latter is released and may be removed 
downwardly, leaving both firing pin and extractor free for 
removal. 

The slide stop consists of the pin part, which serves as 
a pivot and passes through the link, and a body, on which is a 
thumb piece, for releasing the sHde from the open position. 



33 



The safety lock consists of a thin plate, a projecting pin, 
a thumb piece, and a projecting stud. The pin part serves 
as a pivot for the safety lock and is at the same time a pivot 
for the grip safety. The upper corner of the plate has an 
angle which will fit into a correspondingly shaped recess in the 
slide. When the slide is in its forward position, and the ham- 
mer is full cocked, the safety lock may be pushed up manually, 
by means of the thumb piece, thereby positively locking the 
hammer and the slide. Whik the safety lock is being pushed 
up into the locking position the stud on the safety lock is 
being carried upward and it finally stands in rear of the lower 
arm of the sear, blocking the sear, and causing the locking of 
the hammer. If the safety lock is pressed down so as to re- 
lease the slide the projecting stud on the safety lock clears the 
sear, permitting the sear to be operated by the trigger, thereby 
causing the release of the hammer if the grip safety is pressed 
inward, as by the hand grasping the handle of the pistol, and 
the trigger is pulled. 

The grip safety is pivoted in the upper part of the re- 
ceiver. Its lower part projects from the rear face of the 
handle under pressure of the short leaf of the sear spring, 
thereby locking the trigger whenever the handle of the pistol 
is released. But when the handle is grasped, as in the firing 
position, the grip safety releases the trigger without requiring 
the attention or thought of the firer. 

The (automatic) disconnector is mounted in the receiver 
in rear of the magazine seat. In the underside of the slide 
and near its rear end, a recess is provided w^hich stands above 
the top of the disconnector when the slide is in the forward 
firing position. With the slide in this position the disconnector 
is raised to its operative position by the center leaf of the sear 
spring and it then will transmit the movement, of the trigger 
to the sear. The forw^ard surfaces of the recess of the slide 
and of the projecting end of the disconnector are inclining, so 
that the rearward movement of the slide depresses the dis- 
connector until the slide again returns to its forward position. 
In this depressed position of the disconnector the trigger is 
disconnected from the sear, allowing the sear to reengage the 
hammer. This arrangement automatically and positively 

[341 



prevents the firing of the pistol except when all its parts are 
in the fully closed and locked firing position, and it also pre- 
vents more than one shot from following each pull of the 
trigger. 

To Dismount and Assemble the Pistol 

Remove the magazine by pressing the magazine catch. 

Press the plug inward and revolve the barrel bushing until 
the plug and the end of the recoil spring protrude from their 
seat, releasing the tension of the spring. Draw the slide rear- 
ward until the smaller rear recess in its lower left edge stands 
above the projection on the thumb piece of the slide stop; 
press gently against the end of the pin of the slide stop which 
protrudes from the right side of the receiver above the trigger 
guard and remove the slide stop. 

This releases the link, allowing the barrel, with the slide, 
to be drawn forward together from the receiver, carrying with 
them the barrel bushing, recoil spring, plug, and recoil spring 
guide. 

Remove these parts from the slide by withdrawing the 
recoil spring guide from the rear of the recoil spring, and 
drawing the plug and the recoil spring forward from the slide. 
Revolve the barrel bushing until it may be drawn forward 
from the slide. This releases the barrel which, with the link, 
may be drawn forward from the slide, and by pushing out the 
link pin the link is released from the barrel. 

Press the rear end of the firing pin forward until it clears 
the firing pin stop, which is then drawn downward from its 
seat in the slide; the firing pin, firing pin spring, and extractor 
are then removed from the rear of the slide. 

The safety lock is readily withdrawn from the receiver b\' 
cocking the hammer and pushing from the right on the pin 
part or pulling outward on the thumb piece of the safety lock 
when it is midway between its upper and lower position. 
The cocked hammer is then lowered and removed after re- 
moving the hammer pin from the left side of the receiver. 
The housing pin is then pushed out from either side of the 
receiver, which allows the mainspring housing to be withdrawn 
downward and the grip safety rearward from the handle. 

I «^5 I 



The sear spring may then be removed. By pushing out the 
sear pin from the right to the left side of the receiver, the sear 
and the disconnector are released. 

To remove the mainspring, mainspring cap, and housing 
pin retainer from the mainspring housing, compress the main- 
spring and push out the small mainspring cap pin. 

To remove the magazine catch from the receiver, its 
checkered left end must be pressed inward, when the right end 
of the magazine catch will project so far from the right side of 
the receiver that it may be rotated one-half turn. This move- 
ment will release the magazine catch lock from its seat in the 
receiver, when the magazine catch, the magazine catch lock, 
and the magazine catch spring may be removed. 

With the improved design of magazine catch lock the 
operation of dismounting the magazine catch is simplified in 
that when the magazine catch has been pressed inward the 
magazine catch lock is turned by means of a screw driver or 
the short leaf of the sear spring a quarter turn to the left when 
the magazine catch with its contents can be removed. The 
improved design will be recognized from the fact that the head 
of the magazine catch lock is slotted. 

The trigger can then be removed rearwardly from the 
receiver. 

The hammer strut or the long arm of the screw driver can- 
be used to push out all the pins except the mainspring cap pin, 
lanyard-loop pin, and ejector pin. 

To assemble the pistol, proceed in the reverse order. 

It should be noted that the disconnector and sear are 
assembled as follows: place the cylindrical part of the discon- 
nector in its hole in the receiver with the flat face of the lower 
part of the disconnector resting against the yoke of the trigger. 
Then place the sear, lugs downward, so that it straddles the 
disconnector. The sear pin is then inserted in place, so that 
it passes through both the disconnector and the sear. 

The sear, disconnector, and hammer being in place and 
the hammer down, to replace the sear spring, locate its lower 
end in the cut in the receiver, with the end of the long leaf 
resting on the sear; then insert the mainspring housing until 
its lower end projects below the frame about one-eighth of an 

[36] 



inch, replace the grip safety, cock the hammer, and replace 
the safety lock; then lower the cocked hammer, push the 
mainspring housing home and insert the housing pin. 

In assembling the safety lock to the receiver use the tip of 
the magazine follower or the screw driver to press the safety 
lock plunger home, thus allowing the seating of the safety lock. 
It should be remembered that w^hen assembling the safety 
lock the hammer must be cocked. 

When replacing the slide and barrel of the receiver, care 
must be taken that the link is tilted forward as far as possible 
and that the link pin is in place. 

Method of Operation 

A loaded magazine is placed in the handle and the slide 
drawn fully back and released, thus bringing the first cartridge 
into the chamber (if the slide is open, push down the slide stop 
to let the slide go forward) . The hammer is thus cocked and 
the pistol is ready for firing. 

If it is desired to make the pistol ready for instant use and 
for firing w^th the least possible delay the maximum number of 
shots, draw back the slide, insert a cartridge by hand into the 
chamber of the barrel, allow the slide to close, then lock the 
slide and the cocked hammer by pressing the safety lock up- 
ward and insert a loaded magazine. The slide and hammer 
being thus positively locked, the pistol may be carried 
safely at full cock, and it is only necessary to press down the 
safety lock (which is located wathin easy reach of the thumb) 
when raising the pistol to the firing position. 

The grip safety is provided with an extending horn, which 
not only serves as a guard to prevent the hand of the shooter 
from slipping upward and being struck or injured by the ham- 
mer, but also aids in accurate shooting by keeping the hand 
in the same position for each shot; and, furthermore, permits 
the lowering of the cocked hammer with one hand by auto- 
matically pressing in the grip safety when the hammer is 
drawn slightly beyond the cocked position. In order to re- 
lease the hammer, the grip safety must be pressed in before 
the trigger is pulled. 

I 37 I 



Safety Devices 

It is impossible for the firing pin to discharge or even 
touch the primer, except on receiving the full blow of the 
hammer. 

The pistol is provided with two automatic safety devices ; 

(a) The (automatic) disconnector which positively pre- 
vents the release of the hammer unless the slide and 
barrel ar« in the forward position and safely interlocked: 
this device also controls the firing and prevents more 
than one shot from following each pull of the trigger. 

(b) The (automatic) grip safety at all times locks the 
trigger unless the handle is firmly grasped and the grip 
safety pressed in. 

The pistol is in addition provided with a safety lock by 
which the closed slide and the cocked hammer can be at will 
positively locked in position. 

Operation in Detail 

The magazine may be charged with any number of 
cartridges from one to seven. 

The charged magazine is inserted in the handle and the 
slide drawn once to the rear. This movement cocks the ham- 
mer, compresses the recoil spring and, when the slide reaches 
the rear position, the magazine follower raises the upper 
cartridge into the path of the slide. The slide is then released 
and, being forced forward by the recoil spring, carries the first 
cartridge into the chamber of the barrel. As the slide ap- 
proaches its forward position, it encounters the rear extension 
of the barrel and forces the barrel forward ; the rear end of the 
barrel swings upward on the link, turning on the muzzle end 
as on a fulcrum. When the slide and barrel reach their 
forward position they are positively locked together by the 
locking ribs on the barrel and their joint forward movement 
is arrested by the barrel lug encountering the pin on the slide 
stop. 

The pistol is then ready for firing. 

When the hammer is cocked, the hammer strut moves 
downward, compressing the mainspring, and the sear, under 

[38] 



action of the long leaf of the sear spring, engages its nose in 
the notch on the hammer. 

In order that the pistol may be fired the following condi- 
tions must exist; the grip safety must be pressed in, leaving 
the trigger free to move ; the slide must be in the forward posi- 
tion, properly interlocked with the barrel, so that the discon- 
nector is held in the recess on the under side of the slide under 
the action of the sear spring, transmitting in this position any 
movement of the trigger to the sear; the safety lock must be 
down, in the unlocked position, so that the sear will be un- 
blocked and free to release the hammer, and the slide will be 
free to move back. 

On pulling the trigger, the sear is moved and the released 
hammer strikes the firing pin which transmits the blow to the 
primer of the cartridge. The pressure of the gases generated 
in the barrel, by the explosion of the powder in the cartridge, 
is exerted in a forward direction against the bullet, driving 
it through the bore, and in a rearward direction against the 
face of the slide, driving the latter and the barrel to the rear 
together. The downward swinging movement of the barrel 
unlocks it from the slide, and the barrel is then stopped in its 
lowest position. The slide continues to move to the rear, 
opening the breech, cocking the hammer, extracting and 
ejecting the empty shell and compressing the recoil spring, 
until it (the slide) reaches its rearmost position, when another 
cartridge is raised in front of it and forced into the chamber of 
the barrel by the return movement of the slide under pressure 
of the recoil spring. 

The weight and consequently the inertia of the slide, 
augmented by those of the barrel, are so many times greater 
than the weight and inertia of the bullet that the latter has 
been given its maximum velocity and has been driven from the 
muzzle of the barrel before the slide and barrel have recoiled 
to the point where the barrel commences its unlocking move- 
ment. This construction, therefore, delays the opening of the 
breech of the barrel until after the bullet has left the muzzle 
and therefore practically prevents the escape of any of the 
powder gases to the rear after the breech has been opened. 



39 



This factor of safety is further increased by the tension of 
the recoil spring and the mainspring, both of which oppose 
the rearward movement of the slide. 

While the comparatively great weight of the slide of this 
pistol insures safety against premature opening of the breech, 
it also insures operation of the pistol, because at the point of 
rearward opening movement where the barrel is unlocked 
and stopped, the heavy slide has attained a momentum which 
is sufficient to carry it through its complete opening movenent 
and makes the pistol ready for another shot. 

When the magazine has been emptied, the pawl-shaped 
slide stop will be raised by the magazine follower under action 
of the magazine spring into the front recess on the lower left 
side of the slide, thereby locking the slide in the open position, 
and serving as an indicator to remind the shooter that the 
empty magazine must be replaced by a charged one before the 
firing can be continued. 

Pressure upon the magazine catch quickly releases the 
empty magazine from the handle and permits the insertion of 
a loaded magazine. 

To release the slide from the open position, it is only nec- 
essary to press upon the thumb piece of the slide stop when the 
slide will go forward to its closed position, carrying a cartridge 
from the previously inserted magazine into the barrel and 
making the pistol ready for firing again. 



Important Points 

Never place the trigger finger within the trigger guard 
until it is intended to fire, and the pistol is pointed towards 
the target. 

Do not carry the pistol in the holster with the hammer 
cocked and safety lock on, except in an emergency, and when 
so carried care must be exercised to see that the safety lock 
does not become disengaged during the removal of the pistol 
from the holster. 

The pistol must be kept clean, free from rust, and properly 
oiled. Excessive oil left in the mechanism will cause the parts 

[401 



to gum and work stiffly; and when fired will throw oil in the 
shooter's face. 

Care must be exercised in inserting the magazine to in- 
sure its engaging with the magazine catch, otherwise in the 
act of loading the slide will not strip the first shell out of the 
magazine and into the barrel. 

Pressure must be entirely relieved from the trigger after 
each shot in order that the trigger may reengage with the sear. 

To remove cartridges not fired, disengage the magazine 
slightly and then extract the cartridge in the barrel by draw- 
ing back the slide. 

Care must be exercised to insure that the disconnector is 
properly assembled to the sear. 

The hammer should not be snapped when the pistol is 
partially disassembled. 

The stocks need never be removed, as the pistol can be 
dismounted and assembled without removing them, there 
being no mechanism under the stocks. 

Use no hammer, either in assembling or dismounting. 

Magazine: Reasonable care should be taken to see that 
the magazine is not dented or otherwise damaged. In filling 
the magazine care must be taken to insert the shell in such a 
manner that it will not touch the lips of the magazine until 
after it is in place in the magazine. 

Never insert the magazine and strike it smartly with the 
hand to force it home, as this may spring the base or the 
inturning lips at the top. It should be inserted by a con- 
tinuous pressure. 

Drift of Bullet 

The drift or deviation due to the rifling is — in this pistol 
— to the left. The drift is slight at short ranges and that for 
long ranges is immaterial, as the pistol is a short-range weapon. 



[41 



Penetration 


L 


Range 
Yards 


White Pine 


Depth 
Inches 


25 




6.0 


50 




5.8 


75 




5.6 


100 




5.5 


150 




5.2 


200 




4.6 


250 




4.0 



A penetration of one inch in white pine corresponds to a 
dangerous wound. 

The penetration in moist loam at 25 yards is 9.95 inches. 
The penetration in dry sand at 25 yards is 7.8 inches. 

Trajectory 

The maximum ordinate for the range of 250 yards is 4.28 
feet at 126 yards from the muzzle. The trajectory is very 
flat up to 75 yards, at which range the pistol is accurate. 

With the angle of departure equal to 45 degrees, the range 
is approximately 1,955 yards, the maximum ordinate of the 
trajectory being 2,219 feet. 



42 



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